The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

5. Dost not thou know that others have looked long after it, and dost thou think thou shalt come so easily to it? others have prayed much, and searched themselves often, and yet have not been able to satisfy all their own doubts, whether they have gone farther than ever any hypocrite went; and dost thou think it will be so easily discerned, whether thy heart be sincere with God? many find it a hard thing to distinguish betwixt the highest degrees of common grace in hypocrites, and the lowest degrees of saving grace in a true believer.

5. Dost not thou know that others have looked long after it, and dost thou think thou shalt come so easily to it? others have prayed much, and searched themselves often, and yet have not been able to satisfie all their own doubts, whether they have gone farther than ever any hypocrite went; and dost thou think it will be so easily discerned, whether thy heart be sincere with God? many finde it a hard thing to distinguish betwixt the highest degrees of common grace in hypocrites, and the lowest degrees of saving grace in a true beleever.

6. Dost thou think that conscience will never be awakened to disquiet thee, when thou canst not satisfy it about thy salvation? will it always be in this spiritual slumber? dost thou think that sickness will never come? and that death will never come? and that trouble will never seize upon thee? when thy conscience shall be so alarmed, that thou wouldest give all thou art worth to know what shall become of ⟨p. 316⟩thy soul? oh then for an infallible evidence of Gods Love! oh then that thou mightest know whether God will pardon thy sin, and save thy soul! oh dreadful case! when thou comest to dye, and conscience shall accuse thee for thy sloth, when thou feelest thy spirit begin to fail, and apprehendest thy self near the grave, and conscience rageth, and is not at peace, because thou dost not know whether thou shalt go to Heaven or Hell. It is dreadful, doleful, sad to hear these complaints from a dying man: oh woe is me, that I must take my farewell of all my friends, and death is impatient of delay, and yet I cannot say my sins are pardoned! oh woe is me, though I lye a dying, I cannot say my sins are pardoned! within a little while my body must be carried from my bed to my grave; but oh it breaks my heart that I cannot tell whether my soul, my precious (and yet too much neglected) Soul shall be carried to Heaven by holy Angels? or dragged down to Hell by cursed devils! oh that God would grant me a month or two, a little longer, that I may work out my salvation! but thy conscience shall tell thee, thou hadst time, but thou didst mis-spend it; thou hadst it, but thou didst not improve it in getting this grand Question resolved, Whether thou hadst made thy peace with God. Consider now how dreadful it will be, when conscience is awakened, and thou in this case unresolved.